Proper Oats

The Challenge

To quickly pivot a food-to-go strategy into retail and D2C and reframe Proper Oats understanding of its customers and consumers.

Nutritionist and figure athlete Suzanne Ferreira developed Proper Oats ready-to-eat overnight oats after seeing a gap in the market for nutritionally balanced, healthy and filling on-the-go breakfasts in take-out food outlets.

Independent and gym cafes and food-to-go outlets loved the product and promised listings but then the pandemic hit and food service shut down.

“I very much needed direction. I knew I needed help with brand positioning, defining my target audience(s) and developing a strategy.” Founder of Proper Oats, Suzanne Ferreira

The Solution

We understand that start-ups in their first stage don’t always have the budget to pay agencies to do research. So, we supported Suzanne to carry out her own research to understand her consumers. We offered guidance on surveys and focus groups and what questions to ask to really understand her audience’s attitudes and needs in relation to healthy eating and on-the-go breakfast and snacking. 

After a short debrief with Suzanne we took the insight she had gathered and mapped and segmented the audience needs and attitudes she had uncovered. We identified several territories where she could play and meet the needs of those customers better or differently from her competitors. 

In a half-day workshop with Suzanne, we co-created and developed her positioning and brand strategy and a marketing strategy framework to guide how she would develop the marketing framework including product and product range, comms and packaging, pricing, channels and routes to market in the short-term and for the next 3-5 years. We delivered this in a comprehensive strategy document.

We were able to do all this within a week using our agile Launch Pad process.

“The strategy workshop was superb. Atalante guided me through the process, which was well thought out, professional and expertly crafted. The session was a thought-provoking deep dive. It really helped me understand my own products and brand more than I ever had. I personally learnt so much to take forward. As a team, we worked on defining my strategy and developing potential positioning concepts and audiences based on Proper Oats’ true brand values and benefits.

Vicky and Tamsin are not only supportive and helpful, they’re open to ideas too. They invited questions and challenges throughout the process.” 

The Impact

Proper Oats has now secured listings in major supermarkets and online retailers. 

The clear direction articulated allowed Suzanne to pinpoint her customers, what makes Proper Oats different and (for retailers) how the brand could add value to their category to win a place on shelf.

Suzanne was also able to re-brief and re-design her packaging, identity and comms using the new direction to create a fresh and distinctive approach.

“The definition and clarification for my brand has enabled me to demonstrate how and why my products are distinctive and compelling. This is potentially life changing for me and for my family. Thank you so much for your support, I really do appreciate it.”

Services Used

• Strategy Sprint package for start-ups
• Brand direction and positioning
• Marketing strategy and 4Ps framework (product, price, communications and creative, distribution)
  

"Atalante over-delivered. All the support I’ve received from the very first contact has been outstanding. Right from the initial proposal, I knew I had to work with Vicky. I felt listened to straight away, Vicky took the time and totally understood what I was trying to achieve. 

Vicky and Tamsin made me feel at ease and considered all the way through. This makes a difference when you’re a sole founder and initially feel overwhelmed. 

Vicky and Tamsin are the dream team. They’re wonderful, warm, people who care. Their expertise and knowledge is incredible. They have ways of articulating your brand in a much clearer way than you can. They changed my life!"